Transit boss: Rail workers on job 7 days straight

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority told federal safety officials that traffic control staff at the Metro-North Railroad worked seven days straight for weeks when several crashes, including one fatal, disrupted commutes in Connecticut and New York last year.

MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast said in an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board in March that the overworked staffers direct commuter train movements, making sure trains run without problems. He blamed personnel shortages.